'If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food; and you will grow fervent. Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity, go to the banquet of the Angels; and the spotless Flesh of Christ will make you pure and chaste.' - St. Cyril of Alexandria

Note from John Bechard, creator of this Electronic text.

The following is a list of Scottish words which are found in George MacDonald's |Donal Grant|. I have compiled this list myself and worked out the definitions from context with the help of Margaret West, from Leven in Fife, Scotland, and also by referring to a word list found in a collection of poems by Robert Burns, |Chamber's Scots Dialect Dictionary from the 17th century to the Present| c.1911 and |Scots-English English-Scots Dictionary| Lomond Books c.1998. I have tried to be as thorough as possible given the limited resources and welcome any feedback on this list which may be wrong (my e-mail address is JaBBechard@aol.com). This was never meant to be a comprehensive list of the National Scottish Language, but rather an aid to understanding some of the conversations and references in this text in the Broad Scots. I do apologise for any mistakes or omissions. I aimed for my list to be very comprehensive, and it often repeats the same word in a plural or diminutive form. As well, it includes words that are quite obvious to native English speakers, only spelled in such a way to demonstrate the regional pronunciation.

This list is a compressed form that consists of three columns for word', definition', and additional notes'. It is set up with a comma between each item and a hard return at the end of each definition. This means that this section could easily be cut and pasted into its own text file and imported into a database or spreadsheet as a comma separated variable file (.csv file). Failing that, you could do a search and replace for commas in this section (I have not used any commas in my words, definitions or notes) and replace the commas with spaces or tabs.

Word,Definition,Notes

a',all; every,also have

'a',have,

a' body,everyone; everybody,

a' place,all places; everywhere,

a' thing,everything; anything,

a'body,everyone; everybody,

aboon,above; up; over,

aboot,about,

abro'd,abroad,

abune,above; up; over,

ac',act,

accep',accept,

accoont,account,

accoontable,accountable,

accoonts,accounts,

ae,one,

ae-sidit,one-sided,

aff,off; away; past; beyond,

affrontit,affronted; disgraced,also ashamed; shamed

afore,before; in front of,

'afore,before; in front of,

'afore han',beforehand,

'aforehan',beforehand,

aft,often,

aften,often,

again,against; opposed to,also again

again',against,

agen,against,

'ahin',behind; after; at the back of,

ahint,behind; after; at the back of,

'ahint,behind; after; at the back of,

ain,own,also one

aipple,apple,

airms,arms,also coat of arms; crest

airmy,army,

airt,quarter; direction; compass point,also art

airy,chilly,

ait,eat,

aith,oath,

aither,either,

aitin',eating,

aiven,even,

alane,alone,

alang,along,

alison,awl,

alloo,allow,

allooed,allowed,

alloot,allowed,

Almichty,Almighty; God,

amen's,amends,

amo',among,

amoont,amount,

an',and,

ance,once,

ane,one,also a single person or thing

anent,opposite to; in front of,also concerning

Anerew,Andrew,

anes,ones,

'aneth,beneath; under,

angers,angers; makes angry,also grieves

angert,angered; angry,also grieved

angle-corbie,raven (sent from heaven),reference to 1 Kings 17:6

anither,another,

An'rew,Andrew,

answert,answered,

appearit,appeared,

appeart,appeared,

approachin',approaching,

appruv,approve,

a'ready,already,

arena,are not,

argle-barglet,bandied words; disputed; haggled,

art and part,aiding and abetting,

ashamet,ashamed,

aside,beside,also aside

askin',asking,

asun'er,asunder,

'at,that,

aten,eaten,

a'thegither,all together,

a'thing,everything; anything,

'at'll,that will,

'at's,that is,

atween,between,

'atween,between,

aucht,eight; eighth,also ought; own; possess

auchteen,eighteen,

auchty,eighty,

auld,old,

aulder,older,

auldest,oldest,

auld-farrand,old-fashioned,also droll; witty; quaint

ava',at all; of all,exclamation of banter; ridicule

awa,away; distant,

awa',away; distant,

aweel,ah well; well then; well,

awfu',awful,

ay,yes; indeed,exclamation of surprise; wonder

aye,yes; indeed,

ayont,beyond; after,

'ayont,beyond; after,

backbane,backbone,

baggin',swelling; bulging,

bairn,child,

bairnie,little child,diminutive

bairnly,childish,

bairns,children,

baith,both,

banes,bones,

bangin',banging,

bangt,banged,

barnflure,barn floor,

becomin',becoming,

bed-claes,bedclothes,

beery,bury,

beggin',begging,

beggit,begged,

beginnin',beginning,

behavet,behaved,

bein',being,

beir,bear,

beirin',bearing; allowing,

believin',believing,

belongin',belonging,

ben,in; inside; into; within; inwards,also inner room

bena,be not; is not,

beseekit,beseeched,

bethinking (oneself),stopping to think; reflecting,

bidden,abided; stayed,

bide,endure; bear; remain; live,also desire; wish

bidin',enduring; bearing; remaining; living,also desiring; wishing

biggin',building,

biggit,built,

binna,be not,

bit,but; bit,also small; little -- diminutive

blamin',blaming,

blaw,blow,

blessin',blessing,

blessin's,blessings,

blin',blind,

blink,take a hasty glance; ogle,also shine; gleam; twinkle

blude,blood,

bludeshed,bloodshed,

bluid,blood,

boady,body,

body,person; fellow,also body

bonnie,good; beautiful; pretty; handsome,

bonny,good; beautiful; pretty; handsome,

boord,board (i.e. room and board),

brainch,branch,

brak,break,

brakfast,breakfast,

br'akin',breaking,

brawly,admirably; very; very much; well,

breid,bread,

brither,brother,

brither man,fellowman; brother,

brithers,brothers; fellows,

brocht,brought,

broucht,brought,

bude,would prefer to,

buik,book,also Bible

buiks,books,

buildin',building,

b'un',bound,

burnin',burning,

buss,bush; shrub; thicket,

buyin',buying,

by ord'nar,out of the ordinary; supernatural,also unusual; exceptional

by ord'nar',out of the ordinary; supernatural,also unusual; exceptional